Rolling-chair.



C. N. HAZELTON.

ROLLING CHAIR.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.19, 1913.

.WidbUC/p/ Patented June 8, 1915.

Fi 5. 1 X //o l5 3 2 Elma/M301 mam.

' I MM THE NORRIS PETERS CO, PHOTU-LITHOA. WASHINGTON, D.

orrARLEs Rnsznnron, or MORRISON, ILLINOIS} ROLLING-CHAIR.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES N. I-IAzEL- ToN,a citizen of the United States, residing at Morrison, in the county of Whiteside and State of Illinois, have invented certain new andu'seful Improvements in Rolling-Chairs, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has reference to rolling chairs,of that kind'which are used for 'invalids and infirm persons.

Machines of this class are usually constructed with. reference to use either as a street vehicle or as a house chair, the machine in the first instance being provided:

with rolling means whereby it canbe propelled continuously in one direction so long as desired, while in the case ofqthe house chairthe rolling mechanism permits aquick turning of the vehicle to oneside or the other, either by the occupant of the chair or'the attendant thereof. The house form of machine is necessarily inconvenient for use on the street by reason of its tendency to deviatefrom a straight course, whilepthe street form of chair is equally inconvenient to use in the house; on account of the difficulty with which it canbe' turned from;

movement: in'a straight line.

In my device I provide a novel means whereby the'chaircan be quickly converted from a house chair intoa street chair, and.

the reverse, thus combining the most serviceable features of two distinct chairs in v the one machine. The improvements in construction and arrangement of partswhereby this can be accomplished will more fully appear from the following specification,-reference bein had to the drawings accompany- D a mg the same, lll'WlllCll,

Figure 1 .1s a longitudinal section, centrally of a machine embodylng my 1nven-' tion, looking toward the right-hand side thereof. Fig. 2 is a cross-section through the front part of they platform. 8 on the broken line w-w of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a de' tail of the front part of the device, similar to Fig. 1, with the operating parts ina dif-. ferent position. Fig. 4 isan elevation showi ing the rear locking mechanism for the lever 15. Fig. 5 is a detail showing the rack 20 and forward locking means for said lever, in plan view.

There are a number of instances in which the parts referred to in the specification. are in duplicate in the machine, but only one of such parts is shown in the drawings,

Specification of Letters Patent.

' straight line.

Patented June 8, 1915 Application filed November 19, 1913. Serial No. 801,786.

such as the carrying-wheels, etc., and where such parts are referred to in the plural, both of the parts are intended, although one only is illustrated.

1 represents a seat-frame, suitably mounted on a pair of large carrying-wheels 2, pro-' 8 is a platform, provided on its lower face with side-pieces 9, to the inner ends of which are-connected. supports 10, the upper ends of said supports being attached to the seatframe 1. The platform is further supported by means of braces 11 and 12, connecting said platform with the seat-frame. 'Mount-.

ed onthe side-pieces 9 is an-aXle'l3, provided on its ends with small carrying wheels 14:, adapted to cooperate with the wheels 2 to cause the movement of the chair in a Pivoted on the inner face of one of, the

piece") is a lever 15, the lower end of which is connected with a cross-piece 16, provided on itslower face with a pair of swivel-rollers 17 The lever 15 passes upwardly through a slot, 18 in the platform 8, and the opposite end of the cross-piece 16 is swingingly connected with the opposite side-piece 9 by means of a bracket 19. Connecting the support 10 and brace 11 is a bar 20, fixed to which at its forward end is a rack 21, the rear end of said rack being curved downwardly and attached to the platform 8. The

hand-lever '15 is capable of areciprocating movement between said bar andrack toraise or lower the cross-piece 16. The lowering of such cross-piece operates to bring the and may be propelled along a side-walk 0r pavement in one continuous direction.

Near the forward end of the rack 21 is a side-pieces 9 (preferably the right hand side I catch 22, having a beveled face permitting the forward movement of the lever 15 past such catch, such lever being. constructed of metal possessing a slight degree of flexibility, and having an outward tension, sov that in being forced forward the lever springs past the -catch 22, and is. then held thereby. To release the lever the upper part thereof is forced inwardly against the rack 21, whereupon the lever can be moved rearwardly past the catch. Pivoted to the rear face of the support 10 is a latch 23,ihav

Y ing a recessed arm 24 adapted to engage the lever 15 at the end ofits rearward movement, and lock thesame from accidental release. The shape of the arm- 24 is such that in moving rearward'ly and downwardly the lever forces such arm outwardly, and is automatically engaged thereby. Projecting outwardly from the-latch23-is an arm-25 which serves the double purpose of acting as aiweight to hold the arm '24 normally in position to engage the lever 15, and also provides a convenient means for releasing the latch when it is desired to throw the lever forwardly. When this latch-is released the weight of the cross-piece 16 and apurtenant parts will cause such parts to drop downwardly, moving the leverl*5 forwardly to a point where it can easily be reached by the hand of the operator, to continue its movement; 1 I

llt' will be seen that the lever 15 is'in a position to be conveniently operated either by the occupant of the chair orby an attendant thereof, and the latch 23 can also be conveniently actuated either from within" The crossfpiece 16 1s preferably provided with two swivel-rollers or without the chair.

so as to lessen the danger of the chair upsetting when a person stands upon the plat another as it is desired to use it in the house or out of doors, but it is also susceptible of a double use in either case. For example, the occupant of the chair can be wheeled to "a park,-or other public place by an at- Copies of this patent may be chtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

tendant, the large and carrying-wheels ,into use, whereupon the occupant of the .chair 'can Wheel or turn himself about at pleasure, by means of-the hand-rims. 7

What I claim as my-invention', and des'f'e to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. A rolling chair, comprising a pair of large carrying wheels; a seat-frame supported thereby; a pair of small carrying wheels rigidly united with said first-named wheels by saidframe, normally operative, and adapted to act :with said first-named wheelsto propel said chair a straight line a cross-piece swingingly supported from said frame; swivel-rolling devices carried by said cross-piece; and means for actuating said cross-piece to bring said swivel-rolling devices in contact with the earth, andraise said small carrying-wheels 'from'operation therewith. Y

2. A rolling-chair, comprising a pair of large carrying ewheels; a seatframe supported thereby; a platform rigidly sup- Y ported from-said seat-'frame; a small pair of normally operative wheels fixed to said platform, and acting with said first; named wheels to propel said chair in a straight line; a cross piece, swinging-1y supportedw Y from sa d platform;swivel-rolling dev ces carried by said'crosspiece ahand -lever con nected wlth sa1d cross-pl'ece-and pass ngupwardly through sa1d 'platform to a point convenient to the occupant of said chair,"

whereby said cross piecevm'aybe operated to bringsaidswivel-roller devices into contact with the earth,and raise saidsma'l l carrying wheels from operationtherewith means for locking said lever in position, with, said swivel-roller devices in engagement with the earth; and means for automatically locking sa1d leverm positlon with said swlvel-roller mechanism out of engagement with the earth. I 7 Y Y In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence oftwowitnesses V f a Y CHARLES N; HAZELTON.

Witnesses: v l

S; M. MoCoLMoNn, WILBER R. RA sAY.

Washington, DAL" 

